Apparatus and process for cementing wells



S. E. MANNING APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CEMENTING WELLS Filed Dec. 4,1930 May 23, 1933.

Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT or-'FlcE SANFORD E. KANNING,OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB TO THE B. S. I. 00mm, INC., 0F HOUSTON,TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOB CEHENTING WELLSApplication illed December 4, 1980. Serial No. 499,989.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements 1n apparatus andprocess for cementing wells.

One object of the invention is to provide apparatus to be used inconnection with plpe, such as screen to be set 1n a Well bore andwhereby the screen, or other pipe to be set, may be cemented at spacedpoints, usually at the upper and lower ends thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel apparatus to beused. in combination with a tubular screen in a well bore whereby thewell bore about the upper and lower ends of the screen may be completelyclosed to the end that water strata above and/or beneath the screen willbe completel cut oil` from the oil stratum opposite whic the screen isset; and the apparatus is of such construction that the cement may beintroduced and applied about the screen at spaced intervals so as toform a plurality of spaced seals about the screen at one operation.

A further feature of the invention is to provide apparatus of thecharacter described whereby the cement forming the seals will beprotected, after it has been introduced into the well and while inplastic state, to the end that it will be undisturbed by gas pressure orotherwise while setting and more perfect seals will thus be formed.

The invention also comprehends a novel method of cementing screen orother pipe in a Well bore.

- This invention embodies certain improvements over that disclosed inSerial No. 474,- 440 liled August 11, 1930.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation, andarrangement of parts, as well as to a novel process, an example of whichis given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of the upperend of the apparatus shown associated with a screen in a well bore1 andFigure 2 shows a similar view of the lower end thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 designatesthe walls of a well bore. The numeral 2 designates a screen having a setshoe 3 at its lower end provided with the conventional back pressureva'lve 4. The screen is attached to the lower end of a string of pipe 5by means of which said screen may be lowered into the well bore and set.'lhe screen is attached tothe setting string by means of a long coupling6 which may be attached to the string by right hand threads. The upperand lower ends of the screen has blank extensions 7, 8 as shown, onwhich are mounted expansible packers 9, 10 of conventional constructionand hereinafter again referred to.

At the lower end of the extension 8, and preferably in the set shoethere is screwed a nipple 11, preferably by means of right hand threads.A return pipe 12 is connected, by left hand threads to this nipple andthe upper end of this return pipe has a head 12 which fits closely inthe lower end of the coupling 6 and is provided with a packing ringthere around so as to close the space between said return pipe and saidextension 7. There is a delivery tube 13, whose upper end has a Vhead 14which is fitted closely in the coupling 6 and this head has asurrounding packing 14 and a downwardly converging seat 15, at its upperend.

The lower end of the tube 13 is attached to the nipple 11 by left handthreads. The tube 13 is located within, and spaced from, the return pipe12 so as to provide a return channel 16 between them. The lower end ofthis channel communicated with the well bore outside of the screen throuh the ducts 17 which lead out through the nipple 11 and set shoe 3. Saidnipple also has a central opening 18, aligned with the tube 13. The tube13 has a contracted seat 19 beneath its upper end, for a purpose to behereinafter stated.

Above the upper end of the return pipe 12 and beneath the head 14 leadout the return channels 20. The lower ends of these channels areconnected into the channel 16 and they lead up through the coupling 6and their upper or discharge ends terminate outside of said coupling. Anexpansible sack 21 may be provided which surrounds the coupling 6 andhas its lower end secured thereto and an elastic tie 22, such as a collspring, holds the upper end of the sack closely against the pipe above.The channels 20 discharge into this sack.

The apparatus is assembled and then let down into the bore until the setshoe rests on bottom but without the ball valve 25, and the screen isthen washed in the usual way and the packers 9, 10 are then expanded outagainst the walls of the bore. A load of cementitious material is thenpoured into the u er end of the string 5 and the valve 25, w 1ch isbuoyant, placed on the surface of said material. A wooden, or cement,plug, or plunger 23, is then inserted into the upper end of the stringand fluid pressure applied thereto, in any selected manner, to force theplug 23, and the load of cementitious material ahead of it, downwardly.This material will pass on down through the string and through the tube13 and out through the back pressure valve 4 and the openings 24 in theset shoe and will fill the space about the pipe 8 beneath the packer 10.The surplus plastic material will be forced in through the ducts 17 andup through the channels 16, 20 and out into the sack 21, expanding thesame out against the walls of the bore. When all of the material of theload has been so discharged the valve 25 will seat on the seat 19 in thetube 13 and close said tube thus cutting ofl:l further pressure againstthe plastic material around the upper and lower ends of the screen pipe.The pump supplying said pressure will also be stalled, or slowed down,thus indicating to the operator that the load has been fully discharged.The plastic material is maintained in position until it sets, and sealsat the bottom and top of the screen are thus formed. Thereupon the plu23 may be milled out and the tube 13 an return pipe 14 may be unscrewedthrough a suitable fishing tool, or tap, by turning them to the right,and removed and the work thus completed and the well is then ready to bcbrought in.

If it be desired to later deepen the hole the nipple 11, back pressurevalve 4, set shoe 3 and the cement beneath may be drilled out, and thebore deepened.

Any suitable means for expanding the packers 9, 10 may be provided. Asshown the upper end of the blank extension 7,has an external annularflange 26 and there is a collar 27 screwed onto the lower end of thecoupling 6 which telescopes over the upper end of said extension 7 andwhose lower end has an internal annular flange 28 which fits closelyaround said extension 7 beneath the flan e 26.

T e upper end of the blank extension 8 has an external annular flange 29and there is a collar 30 threaded onto the lower end of the screen whichtelescopes over the upper end of the extension 8 and whose lower end hasan inwardly extending flange 31 which fits closely around said extension8. The blank extension 7 is attached to the upper end of the screen bythe usual collar 32.

While theapparatus is being let down into the bore, the flange 29 willhang on the flange 31 and the flange 26 will hang on the flange 28 andthe packers 9, 10 will be contracted. Suitable flangible pins will beinserted through the pin bearin 33, 34, of the flange 26 and the collar2 respectively, while said bearings are in alignment. The lower ends ofthe packers 9, 10 are secured to the respective extensions 7, 8 andtheir upper ends are secured around the slidable bushings 35, 36respectively. When the set shoe 3 lands on the bottom of the bore thecollar 3() will move on down against the bushing 36 and force itdownwardly to expand the lower packer 10 and when said packer is fullyexpanded the weight above will shear said pins and permit the collar 27to move on down against the bushing 35 and this will operate to expandthe upper packer 9.

The lower packer 10, when expanded will form a close fit against thebore outside of the extension 8 and will prevent the cementitiousmaterial from passing upwardly around said extension and the upperpacker 9 when expanded will close the bore around the upper extension 7and prevent said cementit1ous material from passing downwardly throughthe bore in cases where the sack 21 is not used.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be apreferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while thebroad principle of the 1nvent-ion will be defined by the appendedclaims. t

What I claim is: f

1. The process of setting and cementing a screen in a well bore whichconsists of lowermg the screen to the desired location in the bore,closing the space outside the screen adjacent its upper and lower endsby upper and lower packing, forcing cement downwardly into the spacebeneath the lower packing and into the space above the upper packing ata single operation, excluding said cement from the screen, and allowingthe cement to set.

2. The process of setting and cementing a screen in a well bore whichconsists of lowering the screen to the desired location in the bore,closing the space outside the screen ad3acent its up er and lower endsby upper and lower pac ers, forcing cement downwardly into the spacebeneath the lower packer and above the upper packer, at a s ingle oration meanwhile excluding said cement rom the screen, and allowing thecement to set.

3. The methodl of setting and cementing well screen in wells consistingof lowering the screen to the desired location in the well, washing thescreen, setting an upper and a lower packer at the top and bottom,respectively, of the screen, forcing plastic cement downwardly into thespace beneath the lower packer and back upwardly into the space abovethe up r packer at a single operation, and allowing the cement to set.

4. The method of setting and cementing screen in wells consisting oflowering the screen to the desired location in the well, washing thescreen, setting an upper and Y a lower packer at the top and bottom,respectively, of the screen, forcing cement downwardly and successivelinto the space beneath the lower packer an above the upper packer by asubstantially continuous operation and allowing the cement to set.

5. The method of setting and cementing screen in wells consisting oflowering the screen to the desired location in the well, setting anupper and a lower packer adjacent the top A.and bottom, respectively,ol' the screen, forcing cement downwardly through the screen into thespace outside said screen beneath the lower packer and thence back upthrough. the screeninto the space outside the screen above the upperpacker and allowing said cement to set.

6. The .combination with a screen adapted to be set in a well bore, ofan upper and lower packer adjacent the ends of the screen, an inner tubein the screen whose upper end is open and whose lower end is incommunication with the space outside the screen beneath the. lowerpacker, there being another channel through the device leading from saidlast named space into the space outside the screen above the upperpacker.

7. The combination with a screen in a well bore, of an upperand a lowerpacker adjacent thev ends of thescreen forming seals between the screenand the walls of the bore, there being a conduit leading downwardlythrough the screen into the space outside of the screen beneath thelower seal and a separate conduit leading upwardly 1to the space outsidethe screen above the upper seal.

8. The combination with a screen adapted to be set in a well bore, of anupper and lower packer adjacent the ends of the screen, an inner tube inthe screen whose upper end is open and whose lower end is incommunication with the space outside the screen be.- neath the lowerpacker, there being another channel through the device leading from saidlast named space into the space outside the screen above the upperpacker, said channel and tube communicating with each other only throughsaid lower space.

9. Apparatus of the character described including a string of pipe in awell bore, an upper and a lower acker about the pipe forming spacedsealsl etween the pi e and the walls of the bore, there being a c annelleading dgwnwardly through the pipe into the space outside of the pipebeneath the lower seal, and a separate channel leading from the lastmentloned space u wardly into the space outside of the pipe a ve theupper sea 10. Apparatus of the character described including a string ofpipe in a well bore, upper and a lower means about the pipe formingspaced seals between the pipe and the walls of the bore, there being achannel leading downwardly through the pipe into the space outside ofthe pipe beneath the lower seal, and a separate channel leading from thelast mentioned space upwardly into the space outside of the pipe abovethe upper seal, a plunger movable downwardly through the string of pipeby means of which a load of cementitiousmaterial in the pi e in advanceof the plunger may be force throug'n said channels into said spaces.

t 11. Apparatus of the character described including a string of pipe ina well bore, upper and a lower means about the pipe forming spaced sealsbetween the pipe and the walls of the bore, there being a channelleading downwardly through the pipe into the space outside of the pipebeneath the lower seal, and a separate channel leading from the lastmentioned space upwardly into the space outside of the pipe above theupper seal, a plunger movable downwardly through the string of pipe bymeans of which a load of cementitlous material in the ipe in advance ofthe plunger may be orced through said channels into said spaces, andmeans movable downwardly through the string with said load and closingthe downwardly leading channel when the load has been discharged intosaid spaces.

12. The process of setting and cementing a screen in a well bore whichconsists in lowering the screen to the desired location in the bore,closing the space outside the screen by upper and lower closures,forcing cement down into the space below the lower closure and above theupper closure at a single operation, excluding said cement from thescreen while the cement is being lowered and allowing the cement to set.

13. The combination with a screen pipe adapted to be set in a well bore,of an upper and a lower closure adjacent the upper and lower ends of thescreen pipe for closing the space between said screen pipe and the wallsof the bore, there being a conduit leading downwardly through the screenpipe into the Aspace outside the screen pipe beneath the lower closure,and a conduit leading upwardly from said lower space into thespaceoutside the screen pipe above the 75 upper closure. v

14. The combination with a screen pipe adapted to be set in a well bore,of an upper and a lower closure adjacent the up r and lower ends of thescreen pipe for c os- 10 ing the space between said screen pipe and thewalls of the bore, there being a conduit leading downwardly into thespace outside the screen pipe beneath the lower closure and a separateconduit leading upwardly 5 from said lower space into the space outsidethe screen pipe above the upper closure. 15. The combination with astring of pipe adapted to be located in a well bore and having a screenincorporated therein, of a tube W through the screen, means 'above andbeneath the screen for closing the space between the tube and string,there being channelsA leading from the tube through which cementitiousmaterial may be delivered from '25 the-tube into the bore around thestring at different locations.

i 16.V The combination with a string of pipe having a screenincorporated therein and adapted for use in a well bore, of a tube 3through the screen, there being channels through which a sealingmaterial may be conducted from the tube and delivered into the borearound the string above and below the screen. Y

"35 17 The combination with a string of pipe having a screenincorporated therein and adapted for use in a well bore, of a tubethroughv the screen, there being channels through which a sealingmaterial may be '40 conducted from the tube and delivered into the borearound the string above and below the screen, and means forming barriersto exclude said material from reaching the screen. A

'$45 18. The combination with a string of pipe having a screen`incorporated therein and adapted to be let down into a well bore, meansextending throughthe screen for directing sealing material into the bore"50 around the string above and beneath 'the screen and barriers withinand around thev string for excluding said material from the screen.

1 In testimony whereof I have signed my 455 name to this specification.

SANFORD E. MANNING.

